Display stand



Sept. 26, 1967 R. BECKER 3,343,777

DISPLAY STAND Filed April 14, 1965 s Sheets-:Sheet 1 Fig.

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Arron vs/5 p 1967 R. BECKER 3 5 D1 5 PLAY STAND Filed April 14, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet 2 nvenfor: P04; 5614 FR Sept. 26, 1967 R. BECKER 3,343,777

DISPLAY STAND Filed April 14, 1965 rev In van for: R04 F 35: K5)? MMW 5Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,343,777 DISPLAY STAND Rolf Becker,Niederhohnerstrasse 6-8, 344 Eschwege, Germany Filed Apr. 14, 1965, Ser.No. 448,042 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-455) The present invention relates todisplay stands, such as picture frames, frames for mirrors, and standsused for displaying advertising material.

Display stands of this general kind generally have a slanted leg hingedto the back side of the stand and having a longitudinal edge such thatit substantially coincides with the respective planes of two right angleedges of the stand, so that the latter may be selectively placed ineither an upright or a sidewise position.

Display stands of this kind as heretofore known have the disadvantagethat the stability afforded by the leg is not fully satisfactory, sincethe location of the leg with respect to the center of gravity of thestand is unfavorable, and the angle formed by the leg with respect tothe stand proper is not safely maintained.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved displaystand of the general kind above referred to which can be be placed ineither an upright or a sidewise position and will be entirely stable ineither position, thereby avoiding the disadvantages of display stands asheretofore known.

This object of the invention is attained by mounting the leg so that itis not only hinged, but also rotatable about a suitably selected pivotpoint, preferably about the center point of the stand.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improveddisplay stand of the general kind above referred to which permits anadjustment of the angle between the leg and the stand proper. This hasthe advantage that the angle can be adjusted for the most favorableslant of the stand in either the upright or the sidewise positionthereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improveddisplay stand the leg of which can be releasably secured in any selectedangular position. Such releasable locking of the leg may be effected bya spreader arm hinged at one end to either the stand or the leg and atits other end engaging a roughened surface on the stand or the leg, asthe case may be.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention willbe pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claimsconstituting part of the application.

In the accompanying drawing, several preferred embodiments of theinvention are shown by way of illustration, and not by way oflimitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a rear view of the stand in an upright position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the support means of the stand;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the stand placed in a sidewise position;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the stand according to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a modification of the stand; and

FIG. 6 is a rear view of FIG. 5.

Referring first to FIGS.'1 through 4, the display stand, such as apicture frame, exemplified in these drawings comprises a generallyplate-shaped member 1 which constitutes the stand proper. Plate member 1supports a support member 3 which is pivotally mounted on plate member 1by means of a pivot 2. The pivot axis is preferably located in thecenter of the plate member, as can best be seen in FIG. 3. Supportmember 3 supports leg 5, which 3,343,777 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 isconnected to it by a suitable hinge 4. The hinge permits pivoting theleg 5 in the direction of arrow 6 to place the leg, and with it theentire stand, in the desired favorable position of slant on a supportbase. The position of the leg when folded back upon plate member 1 isindicated at 5' by dotted lines.

FIG. 1 shows the display stand, which has a rectangular outline, asbeing placed upon one of its narrow sides; that is, in the uprightposition. If it be desired to place the stand in a sidewise position, itis necessary merely to turn the leg about pivot 2. The position thenoccupied by leg 4 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The display stand is preferably equipped with adjustment means foradjusting the slant of the leg in reference to the plane of platemember 1. These adjustment means are shown as a spreader arm 7 which ispivotally mounted at one end on support bar 3, or on plate member 1directly, by means of a pivot pin or hinge S. The other end of arm 7 isengageable with a roughened surface 9. This surface may be formed by astrip of sandpaper or by a strip of corrugated material, such as sheetmetal. It is of course also possible simply to cut notches in the legmaterial, or to roughen the material in any other suitable fashion.

The display stand according to FIG. 6 employs the same principle. It isdistinguished from the previously described stand in that the leg 5 ofthe preceding figures is replaced by a generally U-shaped leg 5a andthat the spreader arm is replaced by an arm having forks 7a. The tips ofthe forks are bent outwardly, as is clearly shown in FIG. 6, and willengage with teeth or notches 9a formed in inwardly bent edge portions 14or branches I 13 of leg 5a.

The support bar 3a is also generally U-shaped. Its branches 11 and 12are clampingly engaged by branches 13 of leg 5a when the latter isfolded back upon plate member 1, as is indicated in FIG. 5 at 5a. Thishas the advantage that leg 5a will be releasably retained on the platemember when it is desired to support the display stand by a nail orhook. A hole 10 in leg 5a may be provided to facilitate suspension ofthe display stand.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certainnow preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art, after understanding theinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it isintended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A display stand comprising a generally plate-shaped display member, aleg member of generally U-shaped configuration, pivot means rotatablyand hingedly connecting said leg member to the plate member at the baseportion of the U-shaped leg member, each of the branches of the legmember having an inwardly directed toothed edge portion, and a spreaderarm hingedly linked at one end to said plate-shaped member andengageable at the other end with said roughened edge portion forretaining the leg member in a selected angular position in reference tothe plate member.

2. A display stand according to claim 1, wherein said spreader arm hastwo forks each engageable with one of said directed toothed edgeportions.

3. A display stand according to claim 1, wherein said pivot meanscomprises a support member rotatably mounted on said plate member, thebase of said U-shaped leg member being hingedly mounted on said supportmember.

4. A display stand according to claim 2, wherein said support member hasa generally U-shaped configuration, the branches of said leg memberbeing clampingly engageable with the branches of the support member'inFOREIGN PATENTS a posltlon of the leg member substantxally parallel to793,630 11/1935 Francethe plate member.

5 References We ROY D. FRAZIER, Prin'zary Examiner. UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,840,659 1/1932 Eburne et a1. 248456 CLAUDE RoyExami'ler-1,959,746 5/ 1934 248-455 K.J.WINGERT,AssistantExaminer. 2,456,72012/1948 M1168 40-1521

1. A DISPLAY STAND COMPRISING A GENERALLY PLATE-SHAPED DISPLAY MEMBER, ALEG MEMBER OF GENERALLY U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION, PIVOT MEANS ROTATABLYAND HINGEDLY CONNECTING SAID LEG MEMBER TO THE PLATE MEMBER AT THE BASEPORTION OF THE U-SHAPED LEG MEMBER, EACH OF THE BRANCHES OF THE LEGMEMBER HAVING AN INWARDLY DIRECTED TOOTHED EDGE PORTION, AND A SPREADERARM HINGEDLY LINKED AT ONE END TO SAID PLATE-SHAPED MEMBER ANDENGAGEABLE AT THE OTHER END WITH SAID ROUGHENED EDGE PORTION FORRETAINING THE LEG MEMBER IN A SELECTED ANGULAR POSITION IN REFERENCE TOTHE PLATE MEMBER.